Stopwatch Propositions
by Caz Malfoy
Summary: Ianto couldn't believe he had flirted with Jack over a corpse...


**Title:** Stopwatch Propositions  
**Fandom:** Torchwood  
**Rating:** FRT  
**Pairing:** Jack/Ianto  
**Summary:** Ianto couldn't believe he had flirted with Jack over a corpse...  
**Spoilers:** They Keep Killing Suzie and references to Cyberwoman.

x

"_Think about it, lots of things you can do with a stop watch."_

Ianto had no idea what had made him think that propositioning his boss over the dead body of a colleague was a good idea, but he had. The idea was out in the open and he couldn't take it back no matter how hard he tried. Not that he was even sure he wanted to try, anyway.

When the stopwatch hit the ten-minute mark, Ianto turned off the computer monitor and slowly turned to face the Captain's office. Apprehension briefly swelled inside of him as he thought of what he was about to do. He wasn't as naïve as the team thought he was; Lisa hadn't been his first love, nor had she been the person he lost his virginity to. That title belonged to Alan Davies when they had been in the woods one night in October; they had been fifteen at the time.

Ianto unfastened his tie, suddenly needing to breathe a little clearer, before heading into the office and closing the door behind him.

"It's been ten minutes, sir," he murmured, turning to face Jack who was sitting at the desk staring at the file in front of him.

"Mmm?" Jack replied, not looking up from the paper he was reading.

"Something wrong?" Ianto asked softly, stepping further into the room and moving over to the desk.

Finally Jack blinked and looked up at him, his blue eyes red and bloodshot: like he had spent the past few days crying his heart and soul out. "Sorry," he sighed, running a hand over his face and leaning back. "Is there something you needed?"

Ianto raised an eyebrow, moving around and settling on the edge of the desk like he always did: it was something he had done by accident one day, and so far hadn't managed to break himself out of the habit. Not that Jack seemed to mind. He loved any excuse to have Ianto within reach.

"Don't you remember our deal?" he pressed, idly running his fingers along the wing of the RAF plane on the desk. "Stopwatches and the things you can do with them." He chuckled to himself, "That sounds like it could be the name of my autobiography, doesn't it?"

Jack looked up at him in confusion before realisation hit and his face fell. "Oh, god," he murmured, running a hand over his eyes and letting his head fall back. "Ianto, I'm sorry. I'm not…"

Ianto shushed him and brought a hand up, not missing how natural and comfortable it felt, resting a hand on Jack's shoulder. He didn't bother telling Jack it was 'okay', things weren't okay; it was Torchwood, Ianto seriously doubted they ever would be. "It's not a problem," he stated instead. "What were you reading?" he asked, his eyes drifting away from Jack's face to the file on the desk.

The other man's gaze followed his and he heaved a sigh. "Suzie's file," he admitted. "Everything I've managed to find out about her. Well, everything she didn't delete of course."

"Why are you reading it?" Ianto questioned, reaching out and picking the file up.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I guess… Maybe I'm…" he faltered as he tried to think of the right word.

"Trying to see if you can figure out why she did it?" Ianto suggested, closing the folder and placing it back on the desk.

"Yeah," Jack sighed, leaning back in his chair and looking up at Ianto. "No." He hesitated before asking, "Am I really that focused on Torchwood and 'the greater good' that I don't care about the lives of my employees?" he asked.

Ianto stared at him. "Why are you asking _me _that?" He tried to keep his voice even and not let memories of a night so long ago show.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You're the only member of this that won't lie to me, Ianto," he said softly. He reached out and placed a hand on Ianto's leg in a gesture that was so gentle and familiar it almost scared Ianto.

Ianto breathed in and thought back to when he had been on his knees in front of Jack, with the Captain's gun pointed at his head. _"I clear up your shit, no questions asked. And that's the way you like it. When did you last ask me anything about _my _life?"_ Since that day, Jack had gone out of his way to ask Ianto how things were every single day. He even made a point of stopping off at Ianto's apartment every time he passed; which seemed to be getting more and more frequent.

"I…" He sighed and lowered his head. Jack was right; he wouldn't lie to him, not now. He couldn't, not after everything Jack had forgiven him for. If nothing else, Jack deserved the truth. "I think you have a lot on your mind," he finally answered diplomatically.

Jack looked up at him and he continued, "You're so focused on saving the world – saving us – that you forget sometimes that you don't have to do it alone. You spend so much time down here, I think you've forgotten what it's like to be out in the real world," he finally finished, hoping that what he said made sense to Jack and didn't offend him.

Instead of being offended, Jack flashed him and grin and got to his feet. "Thank you," he whispered, cupping Ianto's cheek and leaning down to capture his lips in a soft kiss. "I knew you'd tell me the truth," he added just as quietly.

Ianto's eyes fluttered closed at the close proximity of his boss and he licked his lips a little nervously. "You know…" he began, "I _do _still have that stopwatch if you're…"

Jack smiled and kissed him again. "Lets get some fresh air for a while, first," he suggested. "You said I've forgotten what it's like to live in the real world. Maybe you're right."

"I didn't…" Ianto tried to explain himself but Jack pressed a finger to his lips.

"You are," he nodded. "I've spent… a long time working for Torchwood; far longer than you can possibly imagine." Ianto raised an eyebrow but Jack shook his head; he might have let slip that he was from the fifty-first century, but he wasn't about to tell the Welshman that he was immortal as well. He didn't think he could deal with Ianto of all people thinking that he was a freak.

"Take me out, Ianto Jones," Jack continued, kissing Ianto once more. "Remind me what it's like to be human in the twenty-first century."

"Isn't that Gwen's job?" Ianto remarked.

Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes. "It's Gwen's job to remind Captain Jack Harkness about being human. You get stuck with the job to remind Jack." He flashed him a bright smile and tilted his head to the side, "Sorry."

Ianto smiled and placed a hand on Jack's chest, pushing him back a step. "Okay then…" he hesitated for a second before adding, "Jack. Let's go experience the real world."

Jack beamed and grabbed his coat from the back of the chair. Ianto was about to tell him that he wasn't allowed to wear it but stopped himself with a shake of his head. The coat was Jack's comfort blanket and Ianto knew that.

At the door to the office, Jack paused and turned back to Ianto, a lecherous grin on his face. "There will be stopwatch sex after though, right?"

Ianto rolled his eyes and shoved Jack out of the office. "Yes, Jack," he replied. "There will be stopwatch sex when we get back."

Jack grinned widely and grabbed Ianto's hand, dragging the younger man out of the Hub to experience the real world together.

The End


End file.
